2019Tracker Wilderness Program

Jr. Tracker & Wilderness Exploration Day Camp for Children returns to Amethyst!LEVEL 1 - August 5-9, 2019LEVEL 2 - August 12-16, 2019For children ages 10- 17 years$235 per student per weekRegister for either Level 1 or Level 2 (no prerequisite for level 2)​10% discount if you register your child for both Levels. ​​The details are summarized in the flyer to the Right.To Register:Contact us to reserve a spot for your childUse the Donation Button on this Page to make your paymentDownload the Registration Form, Fill it out,Email it to nmanchorov@yahoo.com​Contact us and let us know if you have questions or special needs._________________________Adult Wilderness Survival Skills Weekend

​This workshop is an intensive two-day Wilderness Survival Skills Weekend for Adults, class that is being offered this summer at the Amethyst Retreat Center, in Duncannon, PA. Participants will be fully immersed in nature at our 144-acre haven, while receiving hands-on experience from highly qualified instructors who live this lifestyle.

Course Description In this class, you will learn wilderness skills of living in and with nature. Skills covered will include friction fire, primitive shelter building, purifying water, wild edibles, etc. Students are to bring bag lunches for both days. Dinner on Saturday evening will be stone-soup style, as you learn how to cook on an open fire! Please bring something to share with the group for dinner, e.g. sausages, salad ingredients, fish, squash, asparagus, potatoes, pizza dough, etc. camping is an option or you can commute to class each day. For adults, 18+. Pre-registration is required.

​To Register:Contact us to reserve your spotUse the Donation Button on this Page to make your paymentDownload the Registration Form on the Left. Fill it out, Email it to nmanchorov@yahoo.com​Contact us if you have questions or special needs.

Where do I pick up & drop off my child? Children are to be dropped off and picked up at Amethyst Retreat Center’s farmhouse at 44 Buffalo Creek Road, Duncannon. It's located a few hundred yards from the main entrance.

Does Amethyst Retreat Center offer early drop-off and late pick-up?Amethyst does offer before and after child care. Early drop-off is available from 8:00 AM for an additional flat fee of $15 for the week. Late pick-up is available until 5:00 PM for an additional flat fee of $15 for the week.

What is your refund policy?The course cost includes a non-refundable fee of $50 for participants, up to three weeks prior to the first day of the program. Because of costs associated with staffing, all cancellations after July 15th will result in a loss of the entire amount paid. However, if we are able to fill your child’s spot with another student on the waiting list, Amethyst Retreat Center will refund 50% of your fee.

My child is unable to attend a day during the week of camp. Am I able to receive a refund for the day missed?As a non-profit, Amethyst Retreat Center allocates the funds paid for your child’s registration far in advance for the materials and instructors needed for your child’s camp experience. Due to this, Amethyst Retreat Center is unable to prorate the cost of camp for the days your child will not be in attendance.

What forms of payment do you accept?Payment in full is due at the time of registration. Credit card payment is accepted through the Pay Here button on our website. We accept Discover, VISA, and MasterCard. Personal checks and money orders can be mailed to 44 Buffalo Creek Road, Duncannon, PA 17020, made out to Amethyst Foundation.

Do you offer scholarships?Please contact us about Scholarship availability.

My child really would like to participate. What if the program is already full?Please contact us at AmethystRetreatCenter@gmail.com where we can put your child on a waiting list. If we receive notice of a student cancellation, our coordinator will call or email parents of the children on the waitlist in order of registration date. Once you are contacted, you must respond within 3 days, along with full payment, before the next child on the waitlist is offered a spot.

What are the qualifications of the instructors?Zach Fisher grew up in the woods and on the beaches of Northern California. His pursuit of art and music brought him to the East Coast and eventually to the Tom Brown Tracker School, which he considers to be the beginning of the education he was always looking for. He began teaching in 2011 and has since worked for several NY based earth-skills programs. Zach is co-founder of Earth Living Skills. He also leads guided tours for children and adults with Discover Outdoors into the state parks of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. His goal as a teacher, and as a student, is to foster a deeper connection between people and the natural world in the spirit of discovery and the maximizing of our human potential.

Joe Blevis grew up in New Jersey but has been living in the mountains of Montana for the better part of the past seven years. Since his internship at the Tom Brown Tracker School in New Jersey, Joe went on to become an earth-skills instructor with the several organizations, including Twin Eagles Wilderness School, Children of the Earth Foundation, and Earth Living Skills, where he shares his knowledge of earth skills with children and teens. One thing that became clearly evident to Joe was that, regardless of age, everyone benefited from these skills. Whether it was through learning how to use a bow drill, or crawling around on their bellies tracking weasels, or exploring the deeper philosophies of our earth, all of these things inspired an inner awakening in the students. This was evident from a new light in their eyes, the sound of their belly laughs, and their endless stories around the campfires. Joe’s hope is, even if only for a few hours, to bring everyone into the present moment by reconnecting them with nature.

Other questions?Please contact us at AmethystRetreatCenter@gmail.com or call Natalie Manchorov, coordinator, at 717.979.4147, and we will be happy to help.

PAY IT FORWARD: When you donate to Amethyst Foundation, a 501C3 organization, you make it possible for others to benefit from the sacred grounds, facilities, workshops and retreats. Consider giving back through your one-time or recurring Self-guided donation and open the door to this experience for many others.

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Amethyst Retreat Center Forest Sanctuary is open daily from Noon to Dusk. The trailhead entrance is at 28 Buffalo Creek Road. Parking is limited but available. Questions? contact us!